


In other words, I love you

by sweetrevenge



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Mpreg, Mpreg Harry, and Louis loves harry, basically harry loves halloween, don't be scared by it!!!!, embrace the mpreg, it's nothing scary I promise, its SO fluffy i can't believe, once again I mention the word 'penis' too many times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-01
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-23 11:13:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2545478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetrevenge/pseuds/sweetrevenge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>In 2004, the year that they met, Harry kissed Louis for the very first time on Halloween. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ten years later, Harry has to spend Halloween on bed rest and Louis makes sure that his husband doesn't miss a thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In other words, I love you

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween gumdrops!! I hope you like this, I definitely do!
> 
> Special thanks to [Leah](http://archiveofourown.org/users/supernope/pseuds/supernope) (for sparking the idea that made this fic possible, thank her for the painting scene), [Aggu](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetenough/pseuds/sweetenough) (who is the perfect person to ask for fic ideas), and [Zahra](http://archiveofourown.org/users/tomorrows/pseuds/tomorrows) my fave lil bean and the beta of my heart <3

It’s October 1st and Harry’s on bed rest. 

 

According to him, it’s ‘ _ridiculous_ ’ and ‘ _completely unecssary_ ’, but Louis’ not exactly sure he feels the same way. Harry's had horrible back pain his entire pregnancy and the absolute longest period of morning sickness, and to top it all off, his husband never took a moment to stop. He still did his gardening and cooking and cleaning and even ran his blog, no matter how many times Louis urged him to take a day off. He just wouldn’t. Harry Tomlinson: the human jumping bean.

So the whole, ‘ridiculousness’ of Harry’s bed rest is a bit lost on Louis. Frankly, he’s glad to see his boy take a break, even if it had to be his doctor who had to convince him. He’s actually really excited because grumpy Harry is probably the most adorable thing in the world - and it doesn’t happen that often 'cause Harry’s just so lovely and happy all the time. Not now though. Now he’s got a whole month to enjoy the furrowed eyebrows of a grumpy Harry.

“I can’t believe I’m on bed rest Lou.” Harry whines, settled safely into bed post-doctor’s appointment. “I’m so tired of laying around. I want to go do things.” 

“Harry, love, it’s only been 10 minutes,” Louis says, tucking another fluffy pillow behind his back. “Just think of all the fun things you can do while you’re laying around!”

“As if,” Harry grumbles.

“I’m serious! We’ve got this fancy new TV in here and I know you’ve been dying to start watching Parenthood,” Louis says, gesturing to the plasma on the wall. Harry grumbles.

“ _And_ , you’ve got so much extra time to update your blog and read books.” Louis plops down on the bed next to Harry. “I promise you, babe, this is going to be fun.”

“Fine. I guess it might be _okay_ to have a little down time,” Harry admits. “Maybe I can start writing some songs again?”

Louis smiles, leaning over to kiss the corner of Harry’s mouth. “Exactly! This is going to be great!”

 +

It’s not going great.

They’re only a week into Harry’s bed rest and Louis knows his husband isn’t exactly enjoying his down time. In fact, Louis is sure that Harry’s going to cause his early death, especially if the incessant sighs falling out of his mouth from where he lays next to Louis in bed are any indication.

Louis is _trying_ to read a baby book that Harry had thrust into his arms that morning, but all he can really focus on are the snuffles and sighs escaping Harry’s mouth every few minutes. After he starts fidgeting and rolling around and sighing even louder, more pronounced, Louis reluctantly closes his book.

“Is there something I can get you darling?” Louis asks, glancing over at his husband. “A sedative perhaps?”

Despite how half-assed the joke is, Harry laughs before fixing his face back into a grumpy frown. 

Louis reaches out to play with the springy curls behind Harry’s ear, a move that he knows will always calm him down. It does the trick and Harry’s instantly sighing in relief, snuggling further into the covers.

“Hmm?” Louis wheedles. 

Harry mumbles something into where his face is smushed into the side of Louis’ neck.

“What was that?”

“I _said_ ,” Harry begins, “I wish that I wasn’t on bedrest because I’m missing _everything_.”

“Babe. What are you talking about?” Louis frowns. “What’re you missing?”

“It’s just... _October_ Louis! There’s so many things to do, so many fun activities that I’m missing,” he says, exasperated.

“October activities?" 

Harry nods enthusiastically. “Louuuuu. You know how much I love October,” Harry explains. “It’s when the leaves change and the whole world gets colder and there are pumpkins everywhere and _Halloween_.”

Ah. There it is. That’s the problem with bed rest. It’s October and Harry is absolutely obsessed with Halloween. Louis hadn’t forgotten, of course. It’s hard to, when you’ve been in a relationship for over 9 years with a man whose second favorite thing after kittens is Halloween. Louis can’t remember the last time they didn’t win best couples' costume at Zayn and Niall’s annual Halloween bash (last year they were Stefon and Seth - it was a huge hit), and he’s well aware of Harry’s love affair with pumpkins.

In 2004, the year that they met, Harry kissed Louis for the very first time on Halloween. Louis had been dressed up as a pumpkin at the time. In 2008, after a truly horrendous fight, they made up (and made out) very publicly in a pumpkin patch. The sight of one still makes Harry blush, much to Louis’ delight.

In 2009 Harry spent an entire week making pumpkin muffins because he wanted to give them out as Halloween gifts. In 2013, Halloween was the night they decided to truly start trying to have a baby.

And in 2014, their ‘lil pumpkin’, as Harry had taken to calling their unborn child, was due on Halloween itself.

It's a very important holiday, to say the least.

“And _everyone_ on instagram is posting photos at pumpkin patches and carving them,” Harry continues, “ _Niall_ even carved a pumpkin. Granted, he carved a penis into it, but Louis! I love penises! I want to carve _my_ pumpkin into a penis!”

Louis chuckles. “I know you do, babe, but you heard the doctor. Bed rest until the baby gets here. That means no trips to the pumpkin patch. And there’s no way I’m letting you near a knife; you’re the clumsiest person I know.”

Harry groans. “That was _one time,_ Tomlinson.”

“Don’t ‘Tomlinson’ me, Tomlinson! And yes, it was _one time_ too many for me to be accidentally impaled,” Louis says, raising an eyebrow. “I’m so sorry love, I know how much this holiday means to you. To us.”

Harry sighs. “It’s okay. God, I feel so stupid for even complaining about this. I mean, I’m going to have our _baby_ and here I am, being selfish; putting my wants above the needs of our baby, complaining that I can’t carve a cock on a pumpkin,” Harry says. “Am I just the worst papa ever?”

Louis laughs, kissing Harry on the forehead. “'Course not, babe, it’s completely understandable to be upset, you have nothing to feel bad about.” He takes his hand and kisses it, intertwining their fingers in the way he knows Harry likes. “And never, ever think that you’re going to be a bad papa. You are the most loving and kind person I know and our lil’ pumpkin is going to be so lucky to have you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Harry says, cheeks flushing in that glorious way they do when Louis compliments him, “I guess it’s for the greater good?”

“Yeah, love, and just think, next year we’ll get a _third_ pumpkin to carve; one for baby.”

The answering grin is enough to appease Louis of Harry’s worries for the time being.

“That’s true. I can’t wait for that,” Harry gushes, snuggling back down against Louis, much happier now.

It stops the sighing and fidgeting for the night, but it gets Louis to thinking. His husband deserves Halloween and October and pumpkins, and he’s going to get them, he’ll make sure of it. 

+

_It’s was March when they found out:_  

The day had started horribly; somehow, Louis’ alarm didn’t go off. When he showered, the water was _cold_. He wasn’t prepared for a big presentation at work and to top it all off, the weather was atrocious; all rain and thunder and lightning. The kind of weather that makes you want to curl up in front of a fire.

Harry’s day hadn’t started well either. When Louis came into the kitchen after getting dressed, Harry was frazzled and upset; a clear sign of a night where his back was hurting too much to get any sleep.

He burned the pancakes he made for Louis; got upset about it, and Louis couldn’t even stay to give him hugs and kisses. He rushed off to work, one sock missing, grumpy and annoyed.

Thankfully, his presentation was the one thing that surprisingly went right for Louis that day. By the grace of some God, he didn’t make a complete fool of himself. He thought the day was going to turn around after that, but after his lunchtime phone call to Harry, he wasn’t so sure.

The rain had washed away _every single_ one of the flowers Harry had planted the day before. His garden was flooded and there were seeds and petals everywhere. Harry had rung him up sobbing, blubbering on about flowers and pancakes.

It was probably one of their worst days in a long time and that night, Louis was fully expecting to come home to his husband doing what he always did when he was in a mood; angrily cleaning the house.

When he had gotten home, though, the house wasn’t at its ‘Harry’s upset’ level of cleanliness. In fact, their tea cups from that morning (tea that had been horrible, they were out of milk), were still left out on the counter, unwashed.

Louis glanced around the apartment for another minute before frowning. He wasn’t quite expecting a silent house, either. Harry was usually in the kitchen when Louis would arrive home from work, getting dinner ready or baking a pie to put on his blog, and he usually greets Louis with a big kiss and hug, no matter how bad one of their days has been.

So yeah, it was a bit disconcerting to come home to a silent house, no trace of his husband anywhere.

He dropped his briefcase off by the door, frowning again at the silence, toeing off his shoes, and making his way to his and Harry’s bedroom.

Harry was in there, sitting on the edge of their bed, fingers tangled together and wringing nervously, a hesitant smile on his face.

Louis was suspicious.

“Babe…” he said as soon as he saw Harry, making his way over to their bed to sit down.

Harry leaned over and kissed him, deep and long and bruising. He had one hand grasping Louis’ bicep, the other tangled in his hair. It’d been enough to make Louis lose his breath, even after 9 years, and it’s over too soon. Just as he’d been about to move to kiss down Harry’s neck, he pulled away, back to the position Louis found him in. 

“Darling?” Louis asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

Harry was still silent. This was getting weird.

“Babe? You going to tell me what’s going on? Because you’re really freaking me out over here Harold. I know we’ve both had bad days before, but I’ve never seen you like this. I mean, there are flower petals _alllll_ over the la-”

“I’m pregnant!” Harry blurted. “Er. Well, I guess _we’re_ pregnant. Isn’t that the thing they say? Mum said that’s how she told my dad she was pregnant with Gems, so I guess it’s normal?”

Louis doesn’t say anything; eyes wide and searching.

“Um. Lou?” Harry said after a moment. “Can you say something, maybe? You’re starting to freak me out.”

Louis looked up at Harry’s face, his beautiful face, etched with worry and stress and a slight bit of happiness. This would not do. There was no way he would allow his husband to have even the smallest ounce of unhappiness in this moment.

“You’re pregnant?” Louis asked. 

“Uh. Yes,” Harry replied, voice wavering. “Is, that, like, okay?”

“Baby. Of course it’s okay. I mean… It happened. You’re _pregnant_ ,” Louis said, voice softening. “My husband is pregnant with _my baby_.”

Harry gave the slightest pinch of a smile. “Um, I guess I am, yes.”

And then Louis was surging forward, capturing Harry’s lips and kissing him deep, like his life depended on it. Harry was taken aback, gasping into Louis’ mouth before getting it together and pushing back against Louis just as much; keening into the touch of Louis’ hand playing with and tugging on his curls.

Louis broke away with a gasp, leaping up off the bed. “Shit. Haz. You’re _pregnant_. You’re going to have _my_ baby. I have never been more happy.”

 And there it was, the grin he wanted from his husband. Ear-splitting, dimple-inducing, and sweet as pie. He fell back onto the bed for another kiss, then another, before giggling and straddling Harry.

“I love you so much. This is the greatest day of my life,” Harry grinned wildly in response, gripping Louis’ hips from where he’s suspended above him. “Wanted this for so long my love, I can’t wait for us to be parents.”

+

Three days later and Louis’ plan is in motion. He’s called Harry’s sister Gemma to assist him in the plans because only she, other than Louis himself, knows exactly what Harry loves when it comes to Halloween.

“So candy, yes?” Louis asks as the two walk down the aisle of the grocery store. Harry had specifically asked Louis to go to the store because his cravings were out of control (his list was made up of sardines, rocky road ice cream, and asparagus, which he planned to blend into a smoothie - Louis really didn't understand pregnancy at all) and it was doubling as ‘super-secret Gemma and Louis shopping time’.

“Yup. And don’t forget big bags for the trick-or-treaters,” Gemma said, grabbing for the asparagus.

“Sounds great. I’ll get Harold’s skittles and Hershey’s bars, and then we’ll make our way over to the decorations, right?” Louis asks, steering the cart toward the candy.

“Mhm, we’ll definitely need streamers, a banner or two, fake cobwebs-”

“Ah, don’t forget the spiders!” Louis interjects, grinning. Spiders are the one part of Halloween that Harry doesn’t take to kindly.

Gemma smirks. “Of course, we could never forget those. Maybe we can scare the baby out of him.”

“I’m sure he would love that." 

“You know it,” Gemma laughs. “So, anything else we need to get?”

“Let’s get the streamers and cobwebs and banners and then head to that Halloween store down the road. I kind of want to go all out,” Louis says, throwing various Halloween things in the cart. “And we should stop by the bakery to get some pumpkin flavored things. He’s been craving that, too, no surprise.”

Gemma nods, jotting down their errands on the list she’s been carrying around.

“And I think after Operation Pumpkin Patch, we’ll be good to go,” Louis says excitably. “I cannot wait to see his face. It’s going to be great." 

Gemma grins. “How’d my kid brother get so lucky, huh? Got a fit husband who surprises him with all sorts of wonderful things. If only I was so lucky.”

 It’s sweet and makes Louis pause. It’s not hard for him to surprise Harry, it’s his favorite thing to do for the man that makes each of his days a bit better than the one that came before.

“Guess I just love him.”

+

Harry’s surprise greets him when he wakes up in the morning, exactly one week before Halloween.

Ever since he got pregnant, he’s been sleeping a lot more than usual, and because he’s such a deep sleeper it’s easy for Louis to decorate the house and their bedroom in the morning.

Louis is putting the finishing touches on the cobwebs on their ceiling when he sees and hears Harry stirring. He jumps off the step stool and tiptoes over to their bed, sliding under the covers as quietly as he can, shimmying closer to Harry so that he won’t have to wake up alone. 

It’s slow, the process of Harry waking up, and Louis takes the time to savor it. He doesn’t get many mornings to do this; Harry's always waking up a bit before him, reading or writing while he waits for Louis to wake up.

It’s one of the greatest things on earth, Harry sleeping. Could probably be the 8th wonder of the world if he’s being honest. He’s just so soft and quiet, breath coming out in little puffs of air, nose and mouth wiggling around as he adjusts to the morning smells and tastes. His chest is steady, the covers moving up and down as he breathes. His big, pregnant 8 month belly is covered by his favorite blanket - a pink one with little duckies on it that Gemma had given to him as a joke - one of his hands resting protectively on it. 

Louis smiles. He can’t quite get over the fact that Harry is pregnant; pregnant with _their_ baby, that they made, the two of them. He won’t ever get over how beautiful Harry is when pregnant, how much he loves it; loves showing off his belly and cradling it every second, wearing the tightest things imaginable and telling every passing person his big news. He was born to be pregnant, Louis thinks, puts everyone else to shame.

It takes another 10 minutes before Harry opens his eyes, blinking slowly as he adjusts to the light. His green eyes are somehow brighter at this hour, beautiful and big, opening and closing like molasses.

He stretches his arms and yawns, soft and sweet, before turning his body to face Louis’. He’s got a smile on his face, even this early, and he’s the most gorgeous thing Louis’ ever seen.

He tells him as much and of course, Harry blushes, leaning in to kiss Louis good morning - morning breath be damned. He’s snuggled safely against Louis’ chest when he notices.

Louis can tell he’s noticed because he lets out a near-inaudible gasp and his neck stiffens as he stares up at the cobweb-covered ceiling.

“Lou...” he starts, sitting up straight in bed.

The entire room is covered in Halloween decorations. There’s a huge ‘Trick or Treat’ poster across the widest part of the room and streamers on every space of available wall. Orange Christmas lights hang across the room and there are little pumpkin tea lights on top of Harry’s vanity. The cobwebs, that don’t have any spiders in them, span the entire ceiling, and the little ghosts Gemma made out of tissues are hanging from little hooks below them.

The best thing, though, are the pumpkins. There are pumpkins _everywhere_. Pumpkins on _every single surface_ of their room.

Harry’s straight up squealing now, taking in the entire room, grinning like mad.

“Louis. Oh my god,” he gasps, turning to Louis, “How? Why?”

“Well, it was surprisingly easy since you sleep like a _log_ and why? Because you’re my husband, baby. And we love Halloween – _you_ love Halloween – and I couldn't stand to see the sad, grumpy boy that you were when it got taken away from you.”

“I _have_ said that Halloween is my one great love, other than you obviously.”

Louis smiles and leans in to kiss him, breathing each other in for a moment.

“Thank you,” Harry says, kissing below Louis’ ear once, twice, and a third time. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“Of course, sweetheart, you deserve it.”

“And look at all the different varieties of pumpkins! Lou, you did so well,” Harry says, pointing at different pumpkins. “You got acorn squash and– ooh, fairy squash and Sugar Pie pumpkins and Howden pumpkins and Baby Bear _and_ Baby Boo pumpkins!

“You’re _my_ Baby Boo.” Louis giggles. He’s not quite sure what any of what Harry is saying means, but he’s cute regardless.

“I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my time on bed rest in my very own Halloween room! The only thing that would make it better is if I could carve a penis into a pumpkin,” he giggles, winking at Louis.

“You know, now that you mention pumpkins and carvings and such, I do have something to show you,” Louis says. He reaches under his pillow to make sure he’s got all his supplies there before turning back to Harry.

“What’re you gonna show me?” Harry questions.

“You’ll see,” Louis says. “Now lift up your shirt.”

Harry looks alarmed for a minute. “You’re not going to carve me, are you?”

“Harry, honestly, just lift it up.”

Harry does so, if not with a bit of hesitation. Louis kisses his belly a few times, whispering an ‘I love you’ to their lil’ pumpkin. It calms Harry down in the best way, his eyes softening and dimples popping.

“Now, I know how badly you wanted to carve pumpkins and draw on pumpkins and make pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin ravioli.” Harry pouts, surely thinking of all the pumpkin cooking he could have been doing if he wasn’t on bed rest. “Soooo, I thought I would bring pumpkins to you!” Louis says with a flourish.

“Erm. Lou, you’ve already brought a heck ton of pumpkins to me. They’re all across the room!”

“I know, but I was thinking I would bring them even closer to you. Like, scarily close.”

“What are you gonna do?” Harry asks. 

It’s then that Louis pulls out his supplies from under his pillow, showing them to Harry, whose eyes widen comically.

“Oh my god, Louis. Are you going to...”

“Yup,” Louis grins. “I’m gonna paint a big ole pumpkin on your pregnant belly!”

Louis’ not expecting the tears that come when he says it, but he wasn’t _not_ expecting them either; Harry’s been especially weepy his whole pregnancy.

“Aw, babe?”

Harry sniffles and cries a little more before Louis can even say anything.

“Harry?” He hands over a box of tissues, rubbing Harry’s back a few times in relaxing circles.

Harry’s smiling when he looks up from blowing his nose, eyes watery and wide, moving to clutch Louis’ hands in his.

“You’re going to paint my pregnant belly!? With a pumpkin!?” he asks, eyes pleading Louis to confirm it one more time. “I am so happy. How did you know I wanted that to happen!?”

Louis kisses Harry on the cheek, thumbing a finger under his eye to catch the latest batch of tears. “I _am_ your husband, and that means I can tell when you really want something. Don’t think I didn’t see you on pinterest looking at all those different Halloween costumes for pregnant people.”

Harry giggles, tears subsiding finally. 

“Now, _pull up your shirt_ and lay back, I’ve got a mission,” Louis says, kissing Harry once on the lips before popping open his paint and grabbing a towel. “And don’t worry, they’re non-toxic, I even called your doctor to make sure this was okay.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, dear. Now lay down and let your husband paint your stomach.”

+

When Louis finishes an hour later, Harry’s never looked happier, neck straining to try and get a good look at it. He makes Louis fan it until it’s dry and then they take a million photos, at every single angle available.

He instagrams it, of course, and Louis’ heart hurts in the best way when he reads the caption.

“ **My baby has made this the best Halloween _ever_ for me and our lil pumpkin**!”

They spend the rest of the day in bed, talking about all the pumpkin things Harry’s going to make once the baby is born. They decide on a name and Harry cries. And then cries again when he calls his mum to tell her. He cries a third time when they tell Louis’ mum and then falls asleep on Louis’ chest; one hand grasping Louis’ and the other on his pumpkin belly.

Louis’ never been happier.

+

Autumn is born on Halloween. She’s 6 pounds and 4 ounces, has the softest little curls and the cutest nose Louis’ ever seen. She’s born on the 1oth anniversary of their first kiss, on the 10th Halloween they’ve spent together.

No one is really surprised.

 

~fin~

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii I hope you guys liked!!!!  
> Come say hi to me on [tumblr!!!!](http://www.cocoalou.tumblr.com)


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